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The River Mondego flowing past the terracotta rooftops of Coimbra beneath a white cable-stayed bridge, with wooded hills rising behind

Portugal Taps the Caldeirão Dam to Keep the Mondego Flowing After the Driest July of the Century

The environment agency APA will release extra water from the Caldeirão dam this week to sustain the River Mondego and protect the public water supply, after July 2026 delivered just 0.8mm of rain — the driest July of the century on the Portuguese mainland.

The Portugal Brief 18 Aug 2026

A sunny daytime view over the white-walled old town of Albufeira in the Algarve, its church and terracotta rooftops descending toward the sea

Prosecutors Charge Albufeira's Chega Mayor With Inciting Hatred Over Roma Housing Remarks

The Ministério Público has charged Rui Cristina, the Chega mayor of Albufeira, with discrimination and incitement to hatred and violence over remarks about the town's Roma community at a November assembly debate on housing. He says he feels persecuted; the case followed a police search of the town h

The Portugal Brief 18 Aug 2026

A rock band performing on a floodlit stage under pink and blue lights at the Vilar de Mouros festival, with the silhouettes of the crowd in front

Vilar de Mouros, Portugal's Oldest Music Festival, Opens a Five-Night Run in the Minho With Yungblud

Portugal's oldest music festival returns to the northern parish of Vilar de Mouros from 18 to 22 August, with Yungblud opening a loud, eclectic bill that also features Dropkick Murphys, Kasabian and Body Count. Born in 1971, the 'Portuguese Woodstock' drew around 50,000 people last year.

The Portugal Brief 18 Aug 2026

The twin Sao Gabriel and Sao Rafael towers rising above the water gardens of the Parque das Nacoes district in Lisbon under a clear blue sky

Portugal's Deal Market Cools to €4.5 Billion as Pricier Credit Keeps Buyers Waiting

Mergers and acquisitions involving Portuguese companies were worth about €4.5 billion across 289 deals in the first seven months of 2026, the consultancy TTR Data reports — with the number of transactions down 28% on a year earlier as dearer financing cooled the market.

The Portugal Brief 18 Aug 2026

A spread of euro banknotes and coins of several denominations

How Your Years Working Abroad Count toward a Pension in Portugal

EU aggregation rules, the pro rata pension, bilateral social security agreements, and the forms that tie your careers together.

The Portugal Brief 18 Aug 2026

The Palacio de Sao Bento in Lisbon, seat of the Portuguese Parliament, with the national flag flying above its columned facade

Portugal's Long-Awaited Pension-Reform Report Reaches the Minister's Desk, but the Government Will Not Release It Yet

The expert group led by economist Jorge Bravo has delivered its report on the future of Social Security — covering complementary savings, early retirement and the TSU — but the government is holding it back until a disclosure event 'in the coming weeks,' as opposition parties demand to see it. What

The Portugal Brief 18 Aug 2026

The pale-yellow facade of a Lisbon apartment building in Chiado, with rows of wrought-iron balconies against a blue sky

Portugal Fell 300,000 Homes Short of What It Needed in Five Years, a Bank of Spain Study Finds — a Proportionally Deeper Hole Than Spain's

A Bank of Spain study puts Portugal's 2021-2025 housing shortfall at about 300,000 homes — 6.6% of all households, proportionally deeper than Spain's — against a near-zero eurozone average. Why a central-bank number matters for anyone renting or buying here.

The Portugal Brief 18 Aug 2026

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